DEMONSTRATORS RUNNING THROUGH STREET, STONING BUILDING, SETTING BUILDING ALIGHT, BURNING BUILDINGS, BURNING CAR, FIREMEN.




Initials ERW/VS/BHH/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: ANTI-BRITISH DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE BROKEN OUT IN BIAFRA, THE BREAKAWAY EASTERN REGION OF NIGERIA, FOLLOWING ALLEGATIONS THAT BRITAIN PLANNED TO SEND 1,000 TROOPS TO NIGERIA, TO SUPPORT FEDERAL FORCES. TWO BRITISH OWNED BUILDINGS IN PORT HARCOURT, BIAFRA'S BIGGEST CITY AND PORT, HAVE BEEN RAZED BY CROWDS OF DEMONSTRATORS WHO BURST INTO THE BUILDINGS, SPLASHED PETROL ABOUT AND SET THEM ALIGHT.

BOTH BUILDINGS, STANDING IN THE COMMERCIAL HEART OF PORT HARCOURT, WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THEY WERE SET ON FIRE SHORTLY AFTER A MASSIVE ANTI-BRITISH RALLY IN THE CITY'S SPORTS STADIUM, WHERE SPEAKERS DENOUNCED WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS BRITISH PLANS TO INTERVENE DIRECTLY IN NIGERIA'S CIVIL WAR.

A SMALL FORCE OF TROOPS AND POLICE, WHO TRIED TO STOP THE MOB, WERE FORCED TO RETREAT BEFORE A SHOWER OF STONES AND BRICKS.

A WEEK BEFORE THE DEMONSTRATIONS, BIAFRA'S COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION, DR. I.U. EKE, ALLEGED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT 1,000 BRITISH TROOPS WERE SAILING FROM LIVERPOOL TO HELP NIGERIAN FEDERAL FORCES. HE WARNED THAT, IF BRITISH TROOPS ENTERED BIAFRAN TERRITORIAL WATERS, ALL BRITISH BUILDINGS AND ASSETS, MOVABLE OF IMMOVABLE, LOCATED IN BIAFRA, WOULD BE RAZED TO THE GROUND.

THE BIAFRAN CLAIM WAS CATEGORICALLY DENIED BOTH IN LONDON AND IN LAGOS, THE NIGERIAN FEDERAL CAPITAL.

10,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE ANTI-BRITISH RALLY IN THE SPORTS STADIUM. AFTERWARDS, CROWDS OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN MARCHED TO THE CITY CENTRE, CHANTING WAR SONGS AND ANTI-BRITISH SLOGANS, STONED THE BUILDINGS AND THEN SET THEM ALIGHT. THEY THEN CROWDED INTO NEARBY HOTELS AND BARS ANS SPENT THE EVENING DRINKING AND TALKING LOUDLY.